Callie says, "Powerful or not, Paldemar has proven to be an idiot. He terrorizes his own to the point of betrayal and hires them to stir a hornet's nest. Even if we don't stop him, I give him 5 years tops before he moronically makes one too many enemies. We don't have 5 years, and as Terdisas said, he made it personal."

She looks down at the tiefling. "You have been helpful. I will keep to my word and *not* release you to Paldemar. However, you did attack me and my friends, known heroes, with intent to kill, for no other reason than "The Paldemar made me do it". You will still be punished for that, but it won't be a fate worse than death."

Dido says, "And why not just death? Isn't that normally the penalty for trying to kill an innocent?"

Callie says, "As angry as I am at these guys for what they did, they were literally terrorized into it. They could have been a nice farmer or the tailor's wife from an otherwise peaceful village and still wound up scared enough to attack us. I know I've been quick to kill in that deurgar cesspool, but I can only hold my breath so long under the ocean of blood afforded to us. I'd like to come up for a breath now and then before I drown."

Dido looks at the others. "We decide their fate as a team. I would vote execution because there is nowhere we can take them that they won't wind up either dead or free men anyway. But for Callie's sake, maybe there's an alternative?"

The tiefling doesn't say anything and just wears a jaded expression.

  "Really at this point, I'm more concerned with getting on with it than what happens to this man.  Sparing them might even be faster, unless they decide to do something incredibly foolish."  Terdisas didn't have an issue with executions if required, so much as making them needlessly stareface worthy spectacles.

"I was wanting to have a talk with the Ordinator Arcanis anyway, so why not talk this over on the way there?" Mittens suggests, preparing the prisoners to be force-marched back to Seven-Pillared Hall, "I was going to see if he'll put his money where is mouth is and give us some re-enforcements now that we know how 'all-powerful' this rogue mage of his is.  As for executing bad-guys being a bloodbath, when I was a kid dreaming of growing up to be an adventurer, I had no expectations of any adventurer objecting to assassins and other such murderous villains getting dead one way or another, especially after confessing to trying to kill on purpose.  Well...  Unless they were fighting said villains in a tomb of horrors that instantly turned the recent dead into zombies that then fight them a second time, but that's just a question of practicality.

"On a less practical note, while I can understand a preference for wanting to stick to healing over a career in beheading, I don't recall reading any scripture from any faith that says, 'putting bad-guys to death is bad.'  (They just tend to disagree over the definition of 'bad guy.')  Rather, most of them say something along the lines of, 'When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong.'  None of us objected to the Duergar being executed, for example.  And certainly no one cried any tears over the dead devils.

"So I'm guessing it's less a faith issue and more a 'ew this is yucky' issue.  No one says you have to be finishing off the bad-guys yourself.  Any one of the rest of us can do the chore.  I myself can do so without any blood or explosions if you like.  But seeing as we've got some not-evil, murderous, assassin type people to rescue, and there's no knowing how long they have before the gnolls decide to make a snack out of them, we need to make a once-and-for-all decision on the topic so we're not risking any lives by spending time fussing with the continued breathing of those who are evil, murderous, assassin types."

By now, both prisoners are being led by rope to the Seven Pillared Hall.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:55, Sat 23 Mar 2013.

Callie looks frustrated. "Why can't I communicate with you?!" she blurts out, "I *just* said these guys were terrorized into what they did! I compared them to normal people. Not evil people. Because the *only* reason they attacked us was self defense! If they didn't attack us, they would not just die, but face a "fate worse than death"! By law, I'm sure they deserve to die. Heck, by my anger alone, I would see them dead..." she looks away. "The deurgar were proud of what they did and had no motives other than their evil ambition. Maybe you're just more discerning than I am, Mittens, but to me it isn't that obvious they are evil and deserve to die!"

Dido says, "Calm down, Callie. We have a whole walk ahead and everyone has had a hard fight."

Callie folds her arms. "...sorry. I'm just as angry about letting them live as I am about executing them. And maybe it's because I'm so upset, but it sounded like Mittens was making fun of me or calling me stupid. Like "we've had this conversation before, Callie, what's wrong with your brain? Don't you remember?" Well the thing of it is, most cases we bump into are easy enough and the villains wallow in villainy. These guys are not so obviously evil to me and said twice they didn't have the option of surrender. Sorry I'm not as smart as you, Mittens. Sorry evil isn't so obvious to me. Sorry I give a care about my enemies even after they make me want to kill them."

Dido says, "You know better than to think Mittens would make fun of you, Callie."

Callie says, "Yes I do. But I did say it sounded like it. Never said she was actually making fun of me. And it's better I let out my thoughts and feelings with those I trust. Sehanine knows a diary just isn't cutting it for me."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:11, Sat 23 Mar 2013.

  Terdisas was more considering things like 'light caged prisoners on fire', or ripping a man open from the neck downwards and taking a roll around in their intestines instead of just a quick head wound if they are at your mercy.  Necessary brutality was one thing, impractical brutality was a different matter alltogether.

  "Dealing with problems coerced into fighting us is admittedly a change of pace.  Considering degrees of guilt is not a luxury we have been able to afford up until now.  Not to say I'm judging if they should live or die based on that myself, frontier justice being what it usually is."

  "Chirp, I'm amazed you even have time for a diary lately."
This message was last updated by the GM at 16:09, Sun 24 Mar 2013.

"Thanks, Dido," Mits says bashfully, rubbing behind her head, "Mittens not so smart if she managed to hurt Callie's feelings without meaning to.  I apologize, Callie.  But at least Dido is right insofar as no hurt was intended."

She thinks back for a bit and ahs.

"I think my own disconnect was my misinterpreting the reference to 'normal' people as a hypothetical.  I wasn't expecting that you might apply that term to folks that tried to kill us because they were scared.  To clarify my own point of view, allow me to put a hypothetical.  Suppose we came upon an orc village victimized by a madness cult.  We fight our way through the unspeakable horrors in the cult's lair, defeat the leader, then get attacked by mind-controlled villagers.  So we defend ourselves as non-lethally as possible, smash their mind control thingy, freeing them from it's power.  They apologize even though it wasn't their fault, and we heal up the injured.  No need to punish the villagers.  They had no choice.

"But suppose as we sort through the cultists, we find out that some of them were only in it for the money, not because of their faith in the evil monster they were sacrificing to.  Still should be punished, right?  Then suppose we find out one of them only did it because it seemed less boring than being a villager.  Still punishable.  Then we find out one of them did it because he was worried all the cultists would make fun of him if he didn't go along with it.  Or one joined up because he was lonely.  Or intimidated.  Or wanted to get back at the villagers for stealing his sack lunch.

"Ultimately, what matters more than the reasons they chose to kidnap and sacrifice is the fact that they chose to.  At any time, the cultists could have chosen to refuse to go along with blood sacrificing their relatives to aberrant beasts from the beyond.  Sure, refusal would probably mean that they would be the next sacrifice, but isn't using human shields the very definition of evil?  Or in this case, orc shields.  Or in the not-hypothetical case, human, halfling, and shifter shields.  I really don't see Joe Normal or Mary Mundane using people shields, let alone waiting in ambush to assassinate people because they're scared of being punished for not doing so.  In my eyes, only evil minions of evil villains do that."

Callie lops off the tieflings' heads. She stares at their lifeless bodies for a few moments before she looks over to Superbird. "Travel time can get pretty lengthy at times. And I make time every night before I sleep. Or morning if I'm too exhausted."

Callie then gets back walking. "Let's get going. We have a life of slaughter awaiting us."

Dido silently follows behind Callie. He rests an elbow in one hand while rubbing his mouth and chin with the other hand as if contemplating how to talk to Callie.

  "Tweet. Well, that was surprisingly depressing."  Callie's emotional turmoil lacked the buffer of life fearing adrenaline everything trying to kill them tended to hold.

  "Trying to decide what the right thing is, let alone doing it is full of hardship.  I do not doubt our path will be lined with bodies, but hopefully at the end of that path will be lives saved."  Or all those slaves they have been going after are long dead or something making it all pointless except for the experience points.  But Callie really doesn't need to hear that possibility right now.

Mittens nods her approval, cantriping any blood away from what gear it stained.

"I see that I'm not alone in thinking evil minions of evil villains should be punished.  Yes it's troublesome that we spend more time among badguys than we do normal folk.  Excluding each other's company of course.  But that's the very nature of this line of work.  Exterminators spend much more time among pests than do clerks who in turn spend much more time buried in paperwork.  Bouncers have to deal with drunks much more than stablemen who in turn spend much more time in proximity to manure.  But if someone didn't do those undesirable jobs there would be much more unpleasantness for normal folks to suffer through, the absence of which many take for granted.  While many take the unpleasant part of our business for granted, I assure you had we not slaughtered that cult of Orcus there would likely have been a much much greater slaughter and we wouldn't have a Winterhaven or Fallcrest to return to.  Every drop of blood we spill will mean hugs and kisses and parties for generations to come that would have otherwise been lost."

She conjures a flower to offer Callie and smiles.

"That this all is especially unpleasant for you only proves to me all the more the depth of your love, Callie.  That's the meaning of self-sacrificial love, isn't it?  To do what you'd rather not do for the sake of others?  This is why I have so much respect for you.  But you needn't carry the burden alone.  We're a team!  We're here for you just as much as you are for us."

Callie sniffs the flower, puts it in her hair, and seems heartened by what Mittens said. "...you're right. I forget that it's just a matter of location and perspective. And that it's because I care that it bothers me. And that if I wanted to live a life free of constant slaughter, I could just retire. I'm certainly rich enough now to live a very comfortable life for the rest of my years."

Dido looks relieved he doesn't have to keep thinking on what to say to Callie.

Callie looks at the group one by one. "Thanks for staying by my side, everyone. And for being supportive. I love you all." the smile crossing her face certainly cements the fact she is now officially cheered up. "I guess I'm the kind of person who needs a pep talk now and then. That's twice now I've needed you guys to cheer me up... I hope I'm not getting to be a burden at this point."

  "You are hardly a burden Callie, even if you were we it would be a burden any of us would be glad to carry."  Though it would be one hell of a GM that would let you get away with 'Disadvantages: Beautiful Halfling Cleric with morals' on a character sheet.

  "It likely does not help matters when we have clearly malevolent doom to all living as our early standard for judging morality.  How corrupt does the average slaver seem compared to that, corrupt though they still may be."

"Or to put it another way, the beating heart in my chest is a burden of about half a pound but I would rather not do without that half pound," Mittens agrees with a wink.

To Terdisas's point she answers, "As for evil's first impression, my first adventure with Callie involved killing a bunch of people who were merely robbing travelers.  Granted, said people were kobolds and a dragon trying to kill us, but it seems every villain we encounter wants to kill us regardless of their initial villainy so that makes it simple for me to justify defending myself.  So yeah.  Things might get a little morally hazy if we ever find a villain who doesn't try to kill us."

The group is approached by Kitau who nods a greeting but says nothing.

Callie gives Terdisas and then Mittens each hugs. "Thanks, guys..."

When Kitau enters the scene, Callie brightens up even more and jumps Kitau. "Kitau! You're alright!"

Dido smirks. "Of course she is. Welcome back, Kitau." he makes his way to Kitau to give a forearm handshake to the gnome.

 "Kitau has returned from her quest to slay the common cold, chirp."   "I do not think that is what kept her busy until now.  It is good to see you again Kitau." Kitau was his favorite homicidal maniac.  It was a short list, for a short person.

Mittens joins the welcoming committee by cantriping a sparkly "WELCOME BACK!" message.  Kitau smiles at the warm welcome and returns the offered hug and handshake.  She chuckles softly at Superbird's comment.

"Thanks everyone.  Good to see you too.  Terdisas is right.  My quest was to follow up on a few hunches.  Made a few new allies while I was at it.  I'll introduce you if you like."

Callie nods. "Please do!"

As the group walks with Kitau, Callie asks, "So what hunches? Any luck confirming your suspicions whatever they were?"

Dido mostly listens.

  "Hearing about those who helped you would be appreciated Kitau, it will make it easier to thank them if we meet them."

  Kitau has already said the longest string of sentences heard from her in recent memory though, so this could be pushing his luck.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:44, Fri 17 May 2013.

"Mittens is curious why you went on your own rather than have us join you on your quest.  Also, I'm sure you'll want an update on our progress once you're done answering questions."

Kitau nods.  "Surina: warlock.  Phaledra: priestess.  Ulthand Deepgem: cleric.  My hunch was wrong."

Mittens shrugs that her question wasn't answered then begins to recount the adventures Kitau missed out on.

"Kitau was saving time by not inviting us. Especially since nothing came of her hunch." Callie answers for Kitau, "Plus she had promised to stay safe and take things easy, so I'm guessing it was mostly covert anyway."

Hopefully, Callie isn't pulling a Jack on Kitau and putting words in her mouth that she didn't mean to say. She follows Kitau back to where Kitau's other team mates may be. Callie figures with a name like "Deepgem", that is likely a dwarf and consequently, a cleric of Moradin. To be honest, she's never heard of a dwarf cleric of any other deity besides Moradin. Callie can appreciate that for what it is. The other two, she can't guess off hand by name alone what kind of warlock, priestess, or race they are other than they sound female. Well.. Phaledra COULD be gender-neutral if not for Kitau specifically saying "priestess"

Callie is quiet as Mittens recounts the adventure, only piping in when she thinks something is being left out. Which, with Mitts' Int score, isn't likely.

Dido is also quiet, of course, and is kind of hoping this Deepgem guy is a cleric of Moradin so he can have someone who understands his love of the dwarf god to talk to, even if briefly.

  When your own characters aren't answering your questions, odds were good you weren't gonna get anywhere.

  "I suppose they got their own short versions regarding Kitau's then previous companions."   "Chirp, Me: Spectacular  "You forgot modest"  "That would be two words then, duh."

Kitau nods to indicate that Callie's summary is accurate and snirks at Superbird and Terdisas' funny commentary.

Mittens finishes up with, "...fealt bad for chopping their heads off so we did our best to cheer her up."

((OOC: Been meaning to share: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Oojl_D3qEw ))

Kitau listens to the story with her typical frown, nodding from time to time to show that she's still listening.  At the end of the story she simply says, "Thanks."

The group soon exits the Road of Shadows and re-enter the Seven Pillared Hall.
((OOC: Point 18 on this map: http://gammaworld.xocomp.net/i...0pillared%20hall.jpg ))

Mittens glances over in the direction of the Minotaur statue.  ((OOC: Location 14))

"Mittens wonders aloud if we should mention this latest development to The Tor-Ordinae Is-Arcanae and if he'd be willing to lend us some ogres or whatnot to take out Paldemar."

Kitau turns an angry glare at Mittens.

"Hmm.  Something tells me that Kitau would not approve of this strategy."

Kitau walks with purpose toward the nearest bridge over the river.

Callie says, "Why not, Kitau? It's a sound strategy. If the ogres die, we've killed two badguys with one go and leave Mr Arcane without his bodyguards. And if they don't die, they keep us alive so we can come back and fight them another day."

Dido says, "They are villains. We can't trust them, plain and simple. We take them along, the best case scenario is they thrash our enemies and on the way home, they get bored and provoke us to fight them. But what I'm expecting is for a "peace offering" like that last ambush with the tieflings, where Tor-Ordinae has instructed his ogres to kill us on the way there and then offer us up to our enemy in order to make nice with his neighbor."

Callie strokes her chin. "You know.. I may feel stupid for not thinking of that, but it's almost encouraging I'm still so mortally trusting that I didn't think of betrayal from the ogres."

  If this were a more standardized campagin, the reason would be 'the Ogres would ruin our Experience gains, duh!'.  Of course, Dido provides rational and sane reasons for why not.  "That would all assume they would be willing to spare them in the first place.  They can hardly loom threateningly among the townsfolk if they are out doing something productive with their time."

Nearing post limit.  Gotta make a new thread.